DON’T SLEEP: The Top 25 Rap Albums Of 2014 So Far That XXL Slept On According To Dart Adams

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I’m sure many of you saw XXL’s Top 25 list of Rap albums for 2014 a while back and wondered how come it was so terrible? How is it possible that a Rap publication is so clueless about the very genre of music that they supposedly specialize in? How were so many obvious choices overlooked? The problem lies in trying to do these lists by committee, there aren’t enough Rap writers or Hip Hop journalists that actually pay attention to the full diaspora of Rap releases to poll therefore this process is already deeply flawed. Once those lists are compiled there’s an editorial decision made to make them “diverse”, sort of like when mainstream Rap started to suck because executives and A&R’s began to apply their “formulas” after removing the underground from the equation. The list ended up like processed food, an inferior end result to what should’ve been made using an organic process executed by only one or two people with the necessary knowledge bases or expertise to get the job done right.

The truth is if they just focused on listing the best Rap albums of 2014 so far without the politics and cheating by adding August Alsina and Pharrell to cover up the fact they ran out of albums they wouldn’t be under fire like they are now. The omissions on this list open them up for criticism. Ironically enough, these critics aren’t taking critique very well (Dan Rhys, I’m looking at you!). Had they just delegated the task to someone else they would’ve noticed the final list had all of the supposed “diversity” they claimed they aimed for. They weren’t aiming for “diversity”, though. They wanted albums that people bought or had ties to corporate money on the list to gain brownie points and enough people saw through it that they’re now doing damage control. Since I’m about to do a gang of people at XXL’s job for them I fully expect compensation. Feel free to Paypal me or just have someone who doesn’t suck at their job do the work and spare yourselves all of the embarrassment and grief next time.  SIDEBAR: Instrumental albums don’t count. That’s a separate list entirely.  Now let’s get down to business, shall we?

 

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9th Wonder presents JAMLA Is The Squad

The entire JAMLA fam & The Soul Council plus their associates dropped one of the best albums of 2014 that apparently flew under XXL’s radar. Well, at least XXL is consistent at something. Too bad it’s being clueless when it comes to Rap…

 

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Apathy – Connecticut Casual

Demigodz/AOTP member Apathy decided to extend what was previously planned to be a free EP into a full album. Great call, Ap. Too bad XXL didn’t hear it.

 

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Army Of The Pharaohs – In Death Reborn

Army Of The Pharoahs returned with a brand new album called “In Death Reborn” but unfortunately they didn’t have any features from French Montana or 2 Chainz on it because XXL completely ignored it.

 

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The Bar (Bambu x Prometheus Brown) – Barkada

Bambu and Prometheus Brown are both well known veteran emcees that address social issues in their rhymes and have each been making excellent music for about a decade. Apparently that’s not good enough for XXL. Let’s face it. No one there ever even heard the album. That’s okay, I did…

 

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Blu x Bombay – Good To Be Home

Blu and Bombay teamed together to drop one of my favorite releases of 2014 thus far. I thought it was an obvious selection but I guess I’m just built differently.

 

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CASTLE x Has-Lo – Return Of The Gasface (The Has-Lo Passages)

CASTLE’s follow up to last year’s excellent LP “GasFace” takes shape in a rethinking of that same album. Think of it as the alternate sequences on an EPS 16+ or an ASR-10. If you don’t get the reference don’t feel bad, you still know enough about Rap to compile a “best of 2014” list for XXL…

 

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Dag Savage (Exile x Johaz) – E&J

Dirty Science crew members Exile (of Emanon) & Johaz (of Deep Rooted) made what was easily one of the dopest Rap albums of 2014 and even though this album is obviously excellent it got ZERO love from XXL when they made their recent Top 25 of 2014 list. Apparently neither their staff writers nor their editors actually listen to Rap…

 

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De La Soul x J Dilla – Smell The D.A.I.S.Y

I thought this choice was obvious but I was obviously wrong.

 

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The Doppelgangaz – Peace Kehd

Maybe they slept on this one because it came out so early in the year. I’m trying to give XXL the benefit of the doubt here.

 

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Isaiah Rashad – Cilvia Demo

OK. This guy was an XXL Freshman choice AND he’s on TDE but somehow Ab-Soul’s underwhelming LP, August Alsina AND Pharrell Williams (?) were picked over him. I know. That’s just blatant.

 

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KA x Preservation – 1200 B.C. EP

So…I take that XXL just wasn’t aware this even came out. I say that because this EP only costs $5, comes in physical form in the mail and is worth every single penny spent of it. Only way to overlook this jawn is if you weren’t up on it. How come I was and they weren’t? Don’t they COVER Rap and know how to use Google over at XXL? *Rubs goatee*

 

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Kev Brown x MindsOne – Pillars

The group MindsOne teamed with emcee/producer legend Kev Brown to make one hell of an album. XXL didn’t hear it because DJ Khaled wasn’t screaming all over it, though.

 

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L’Orange – The Orchid Days

Producer L’Orange exercised his range by producing a haunting and beautiful LP following last year’s eye opening collaborative album with Stik Figa. It fell on deaf ears over at XXL because Boog Brown was on it instead of Iggy Azalea or Nicki Minaj, I guess?

 

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Mello Music Group – Mandala Vols. 1 & 2

Mello Music Group dropped this AMAZING double compilation album that apparently NO ONE over at XXL heard. Everyone I know that heard it, bought it and has been playing it for months & months. Then again, they’re all actually fans of Hip-Hop culture and they love Rap so… *Shrugs*

 

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Meyhem Lauren x Buckwild – Silk Pyramids

Meyhem Lauren over Buckwild production? I expected it to be ridiculous and after I heard the finished product my expectations were met and exceeded. I saw XXL’s Top 25 Rap Albums Of 2014 So Far list. I had low expectations going in and they weren’t even met. See the difference?

 

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Open Mike Eagle – Dark Comedy

Open Mike Eagle’s “Dark Comedy” was everything that I thought Kanye was aiming for on “YEEZUS” but he never actually achieved. “Qualifiers”, “Idaho” and “A History Of Modern Dance” are all among my favorite songs of 2014 (actually “Qualifiers” was one of my choices for 2013 but it wasn’t even officially out yet). I’m not surprised XXL slept on it but it’s actually good…

 

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People Under The Stairs – 12 Step Program

People Under The Stairs should really change their group name to People Under XXL’s Radar. They’ve only been making Rap records since 1998… *facepalm*

 

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Pharoahe Monch – PTSD

Yeeeeah. I REALLY don’t know how XXL missed this one. This is the 15th anniversary year of Pharoahe Monche debut LP “Internal Affairs” and this particular album was so incredible I was under the impression that it was undeniable. I made a serious mistake by underestimating just how trash XXL is at covering Rap music. Which is really disappointing seeing as how they’re a RAP MUSIC PUBLICATION.

 

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Prince Po x Oh No – Animal Serum

I’m willing to bet all of the leftover duck sauce in Chief Keef’s refrigerator that NO ONE at XXL even heard this album. Luckily for Rap journalism, I did…

 

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RATKING – So It Goes

Why this wasn’t on the list was beyond me. You wanted “diversity”? This was an obvious choice. Well, that plus it was actually GOOD ENOUGH to deserve mention.

 

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Ray West x OC – Ray’s Cafe

I got this album as an advance in late 2013 but it’s release was delayed. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed what I heard. I guess no one at XXL fucks with Fat Beats. Why would they? They just distribute and sell Rap albums worldwide. No reason to stay abreast of their new releases! *Groan*

 

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Sean C x LV – Loud Dreams Vol. 1

Talk about an obvious choice! I was at Berklee College Of Music for Sean C & LV’s lecture with Shaheem Reid and after discussing the recording & creation process of this album after having heard it then listening again the album took on an even greater significance. I’m sure XXL posted the link but did they HEAR “Loud Dreams” at all? If they did then why wasn’t it on their list then?

 

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Verbal Kent x Khrysis – Sound Of The Weapon

Verbal Kent of Ugly Heroes collaborated with The Soul Council’s Khrysis to make yet ANOTHER album for XXL to be completely oblivious of. Well, at least they’re good at something. that’s a positive…

 

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Willie The Kid x Bronze Nazareth – The Living Daylights

Willie The Kid’s “Aquamarine” and “Masterpiece Theater” were two of the best projects of 2013. In 2014 he built with Wu affiliate Bronze Nazareth and the product is “The Living Daylights”. XXL ain’t hear it, though…

 

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Your Old Droog – Your Old Droog EP

I mean “DUH!”. At one point even reputed blogs and online music publications were convinced this was a Nas album produced by DJ Skizz & El RTNC under a psuedonym via Mass Appeal/Ego Trip. They were wrong as fuck but it’s still really good. I guess XXL didn’t agree.

One.